The present invention relates to microscope optical systems and more particularly to such systems for inverted, infinity-corrected microscopes.
It is sometimes desirable to observe objects through a microscope from the bottom rather than in the conventional manner, from the top. One example of such a microscope is the tissue-culture microscope which is used to examine specimens in a fluid carried by a container. The container is set on the stage and the specimen is observed through the container bottom. It is usually necessary to examine such specimens from the bottom because containers such as flasks and beakers do not permit movement of the objective and/or nosepiece of a conventional microscope within the necessary close proximity to the specimen being observed. However, when the nosepiece containing the objective is inverted and approaches the specimen from the bottom through a hole in the stage, the objective may be brought as close to the container surface as desired. It is highly desirable to use conventional eyepiece units and nosepiece-objective units to provide the maximum interchangeability of components with conventional microscopes.